Is fruit and vegetable intake associated with asthma or chronic rhino-sinusitis in European adults? Results from the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) Survey

Vanessa Garcia-Larsen*, Rhonda Arthur, James F. Potts, Peter H. Howarth, Matti Ahlström, Tari Haahtela, Carlos Loureiro, Ana Todo Bom, Grzegorz Brozek, Joanna Makowska, Marek L Kowalski, Trine Thilsing, Thomas Keil, Paolo M Matricardi, Kjell Torén, Thibaut Van Zele, Claus Bachert, Barbara Rymarczyk, Christer Janson, Bertil ForsbergEwa Nizankowska-Mogilnicka, Peter G J Burney

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Background: Fruits and vegetables are rich in compounds with proposed antioxidant, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties, which could contribute to reduce the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases. Objective: We investigated the association between asthma, and chronic rhino-sinusitis (CRS) with intake of fruits and vegetables in European adults. Methods: A stratified random sample was drawn from the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) screening survey, in which 55,000 adults aged 15-75 answered a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms. Asthma score (derived from self-reported asthma symptoms) and CRS were the outcomes of interest. Dietary intake of 22 subgroups of fruits and vegetables was ascertained using the internationally validated GA2LEN Food Frequency Questionnaire. Adjusted associations were examined with negative binomial and multiple regressions. Simes procedure was used to control for multiple testing. Results: A total of 3206 individuals had valid data on asthma and dietary exposures of interest. 22.8% reported having at least 1 asthma symptom (asthma score ≥1), whilst 19.5% had CRS. After adjustment for potential confounders, asthma score was negatively associated with intake of dried fruits (β-coefficient -2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] -4.09, -0.59), whilst CRS was statistically negatively associated with total intake of fruits (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.55, 0.97). Conversely, a positive association was observed between asthma score and alliums vegetables (adjusted β-coefficient 0.23; 95% CI 0.06, 0.40). None of these associations remained statistically significant after controlling for multiple testing. Conclusion and clinical relevance: There was no consistent evidence for an association of asthma or CRS with fruit and vegetable intake in this representative sample of European adults.

Original languageEnglish
Article number3
JournalClinical and Translational Allergy
Volume7
Number of pages9
ISSN2045-7022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Adults
  • Asthma
  • Chronic rhino-sinusitis
  • Europe
  • Fruits
  • GALEN
  • Meta-analysis
  • Vegetables

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  • GA2LEN survey and follow-up study: GA2LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) survey and follow-up study

    Thilsing, T. (Head coordinator), Bælum, J. (Co-PI), Al-kalemji, A. (Co-PI), Lange, B. (Co-PI), Kjeldsen, A. D. (Co-PI), Burney, P. G. J. (PI), Garcia-Larsen, V. (Co-PI), Potts, J. F. (Co-PI), Bom, A. T. (Co-PI), Haahtela, T. (Co-PI), Keil, T. (Co-PI), Amaral, A. F. S. (Co-PI), Matricardi, P. M. (Co-PI), Makowska, J. (Co-PI), Kowalski, M. L. (Co-PI), Torén, K. (Co-PI), Van Zele, T. (Co-PI), Bachert, C. (Co-PI), Rymarczyk, B. (Co-PI), Brozek, G. (Co-PI), Janson, C. (Co-PI), Forsberg, B. (Co-PI), Nizankowska-Mogilnicka, E. (Co-PI), Howarth, P. H. (Co-PI) & Jarvis, D. L. (Co-PI)

    02/06/200801/09/2010

    Project: Research

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